Mowing-machine



(No Model.) r A 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' A8. R A N K.

Mowin'glMaohine.

No. 235,378. f Patented Dec. 14,1880.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRFHER. WASHXGTON. D. C

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shut 2.

A. RANK. -Mowing Machine.

No. 23.5.378. Y Patented Dec.14*,1's8o.

Inventor:

N-PETERS PHOTD-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A-.RANK- M'owng Machine.

No.235,3718.' Patented Dec. 14,1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMos RANK, 0E SALEM, oHIo.

MOWlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,378, dated December 14, 1886.

Application led June 30, 1880.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, AMos RANK, of Salem, in the county of 'Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mowing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and accurate description of the same.

rlhis invention relates to that class of mowing-machines known as two-wheeled, doublejointed, front-cut77 machines, and the points of novelty relate, first, to the manner of constructing the main frame; second, to an adjustment of the divider. These points will be enlarged in the following description.

That others may fully understand my invention, I willparticularly describe it, having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure lis a perspective View of Iny n1a chine. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, and Figs. 3, 4, 5,6 are details.

The axle-barrel A is, by preference, to be made of cast metal, cored out hollow, and with the projecting ears a a near the ends, and the ear b in the center cast on it-the two former for the side pieces of the main frame, and the latter for the 'ulcrum of the shifting-lever B.

The axle is, by preference, to be Inade of wrought-iron and to be held rmly in `the barrel without turning by means of set-screws c, keys, or other proper means. i

rIhe gear-ring C in the driving-wheels, the miter-wheels d, the bevel-pinion D, the crank E, crank-shaft F, the pitlnan Gr, and the knife H and guards I are all to be constructed in the usual well-known ways.

The rectangular mainframe J is to be constructed with two side pieces and one crosspiece, of tlat wrought-iron of same size. The two side pieces are bent around the axle-barrel at their rear ends, and are firmly bolted or riveted to the projecting ears a, cast on the axle-barrel A. The one on the left-hand side is extended down past the axle-barrel, and terminating in an ear, g, to which the rear end of the diagonal member K of the couplingframe is hinged at the opposite or front end. The left-hand side piece ot' the main frame is also bent downward in a curve, terminating in an ear, h, to correspond with the ear g at (No model.)

the rear end, and to the front ear the upper end of the lateralmember L of the couplingframe is hinged, forming two points of hinging the coupling-frame to the main frame ina horizontal line parallel to or coinciding with the crank-shaft center, so that in raising and loweringthe cutting apparatus the cutter-section will register unchanged with the guards, or nearly so. The front cross-piece of main frame J is to be made of dat bar wrought-iron ot' same size as the side pieces, and bolted or riveted to the side pieces of the points of intersection.

The crank-shaft box or barrel M is combined in one piece of casting of suitable shape with a corner stift'euing or bracing plate, t', for the main fra-Ine, and is bolted or riveted to the left-hand side piece and the front cross-piece of the main frame.

The tongue N is hinged at its rear end to the ears on the axle-barrel, at or near the center between the driving-wheels, and to it the seat-spring l, the hoisting -lever m, and the tool-box 'a are attached. The whiftletrees and neck-yoke are also to be attached to the tongue in the usual well-known ways. The hoisting -lever m is provided with a pawl, f, and hand-rod to control the same, and lever-plate Q is bolted to the tongue, back of the hoisting-lever, to hold the lever at any desired point.

The shifting-clutch O is cast in one piece, with a projecting ilange, P, on one end, and the shifting-lever B is cast at its ends in the form of a fork to straddle the edge of the tlange P on the shifting-clutch.

The crank-wheel E is to be made with one or lnore crank holes properly babbitted or bushed in the usual well-known ways.

The pitman G may be made with a hook or crank at each end-the upper one to fit the holes in the crank-wheel E, and the lower one to tit the hole or eye in the knife-head q, or in some other approved way. The pitnian is held in the crank-wheel by a large-headed bolt, made with a shoulder at the proper point in its length, and is held in the knife-head by the flange cast on the shoe R for this purpose.

The coupling-frame is made of three pieces, K, L, and S, of dat bar-iron ot' same size. The

IOO

i. e .refswat' rear member, K, is iliade to stand in a diagonal and oblique relation to the main frame and cutting apparatus, and at its lower end is bent outward and downward, and terminates in an eye, and is hinged to the rear or heel end of the inner shoe, R. At tlieotlier end it isbent in the opposite direction, terminating in an eye and hinged to the downward-lnoiecting ear g at the rear left hand side ot' the main frame. The front member oi' the coupling-frame is left straight, with an eye formed on each end. The lower end is hinged to the frontend of the shoe 1i, and theupper end is hinged tothe downwardly-proiecting ear h at the t'ront end of the left-hand side piece ot' the main frame. To this member of' the coupling-trame is also attached the hoisting-chain s.

Between the two members ot' the couplingfralne described, at their lower ends and near the shoe, is a short brace, S, bent upward at each end, so as to form ears. by which it is bolted or riveted to both the rear and front members, K L. The brace S stit'ens the coupling-frame and serves to keep the pitnian and knife in place when thc cutting apparatus is folded up over the tongue for transportation.

The shoes, the track-clearer, the drivingwheels, the seat, &e., not herein described, are to be constructed in some ot' the usual well-known ways.

The track-cleareris pivoted to the outer shoe, T, and in a vertical plane, by means otI a sliding latch or bolt, t, which may be placed in engagement with any one ot' a series ol' steps 01` notches, u, iliade in a suitable part ol' the shoe t0 hold the track-clearer up, as may be required.

1t is desirable to maintain a substantial uniformity of height for the main fraaie: and because the height ot' the tongue will necessarily vary with dil'erent teams` l provide a means of adjustment between the tongue and t'raine insegment-plates V \\`,oneot` which isslotted, and a coupling-bolt. whereby said plates may be moved upon each other and tixed at any desired point. The angle ot' the plane ol' the cutter to the. ground is determined, also, by the adjustment ofthe plates \v W, because the coupling-arm in this case has two points ot'- engagement with the main frame and no torsional flexibility.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is- A rectangular main frame fora mowingmachine, made of' wrought-metal bars and projecting wholly from one side of a tubular main axle-sleeve provided with ears a a, to which said bars are bolted, in the manner and for the purpose, substantially as shown and described.

2. A rectangular main frame, J, for a mowing-machine, made of wrought-metal bars, in combination with the cast axle barrel or sleeve, constructed with the upwardly-projectin g ears l; for the tongue and the horizontally-projecting ears a for the side bars of said main frame, substantially as shown and described.

3. A rectangular main frame for a mowingmachine, made of wrought metal, in combination with a cast axle barrel or sleeve, A, constructed with horizontally-projecting ears a a b, the latter for a fulcrum for the shifting-1e- \'er l5, substantially as shown and described.

4. A rectangular main frame, J, for a mowing-machine, made of Wrought metal, the lefthand sidebar whereof is constructed with the downwardly-projecting ears g h, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as shown and described.

5. A rectangular main frame for a mowingmachine, made of wrought metal, in combination with the crank-shaft box M and framestiti'ening corner-piece t', constructed substantially as shown and described.

(i. A rectangular main frame fora mowingmachine, made of wrought metal and projecting wholly from one side of the main axle, ir conihination with a triangular coupling-frame K L, made wholly of wrought; metal and constructed in the manner substantially as shown and described.

7. The outer shoe, T., provided with steps or notches u :(,combined with the track-clearer provided with a latch or bolt, t, as set forth and described.

AMOS RANK.

Attest:

HENRY C. JONES, Isn/uci. BARBER. 

